"Yes, but if I should die, will you promise to love Jesus just as I do, and meet me in heaven?"
"But you are not going to die. Don't speak of it," he said.
"But if I should die, do promise, Father, you will be a good Christian and come up and live with Jesus and me in heaven."
"Yes, yes!" he said at last.
When they came near the crossing-place, she said: "Father, please stand here a minute." She loved him dearly and was willing to run the risk of dying for him. Strange as it may seem she walked quickly and jumped upon the loose rock, and down it went with the girl. She was crushed to death. The trembling parent crept to the edge, and eyes dimmed with tears, gazed wildly upon the wreck. Then he thought of all his little child had told him about how Jesus had died to save us. He thought he had never loved her so much. But he began to see that he had far more reason to love Jesus who had suffered much more to save him from the "bottomless pit." And then he thought of the promise he so carefully made to his daughter. What could he do but kneel down and cry to God to have mercy upon him?
If they meet in heaven, do you think that daughter will be sorry that she sacrificed her life for her father's sake? Can you not imagine that tears often filled the eyes of that father when he spoke of his sainted little one?
You would say that he would have been a very wicked man if he had not loved the memory of his child. But is it not a thousand times more wicked for you not to love Him who has loved you so much more than that little one loved her father?
How can you help loving such a precious Savior? Will you not ask Him to forgive you and help you to live for Him the rest of your life?
—The Way of Faith